Prong-button.



No. 644,0l3. Patented Feb. 20, 1900. T. n. HYDE, m. PRONG BUTTON.

(Application filed Apr. -29, 1899.)

(No Model.)

In: N'cmms Incas co. PKOTO-LITHU, wnsnmsrou, n. 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEOPHILUS R. HYDE, JR, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THESCOVILL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PRONG-BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,013, dated February20, 1900.

Application filed April 2 9, 1 8 9 9.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEOPHILUS R. HYDE, J12, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inProng-Buttons, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of this invention is to provide a button with its own meansof fastening instead of extraneous .meanssuch as thread, tacks, andrivets; and in attaining this object I provide a button-head with apermanentlyattached metallic pronged device the prongs of which aredriven or forced through the garment and their points curled up orclenched upon the garment in order to fasten the button to the garment.This object, attained as thus broadly stated, is found illustrated inprior patents, but with specific differences, as I will proceed to pointout. For example, a button-head has been made with a depressed center,having its bottom provided with as many holes as there are prongs on thefastening, and then the fastening has been applied in the saidcenter,with its prongs protruding through said holes and its headsecured to the button-head, by compressing or constricting the depressedcenter above said head and flaring or expanding it at such head. Thisconstruction is illustrated in the Patent No. 293,531,:dated February12, 1884; but it requires an accurate assembling of the buttonhead andfastening in order to unite them in the manufacture of the button, whichobviously increases the cost of manufacture of the button. Again, thebutton-head and its fastening have been made from a single blank, as inthe Patent No. 486,871, dated November 29, 1892; but this involves aconsiderable waste of metal and also requires the head to be made of asstrong metal as the fastening, further involving expense of manufacture.Again, it has been proposed to make a button in which the head and thefastening are separate and only united in the application thereof to agarment, as in the British patent, No. 15,768 of 1889. In this casethehead is made with so slight a central depression that there is noopportunity to unite the said head and its fastening independently ofapplication to the Serial No. 715,038. (No model.)

garment. This button, however, obviates the manufacturing disadvantagealluded to in the 01d button first described by substituting a singleopening in the button for as many holes as there are prongs on thefastening. Still another form of prong-button precedes mine,and in itthe back of the button has a very slight depression, is covered by aface-plate, and the fastening member is headed over within the back andbetween it and the faceplate and is constructed with a shank portion andadjacent prongs, as in Patent No. 283,235, dated August 14, 1883. Inthis construction the union between the fastening member and the back ofthe button I believe to be insufficiently strong to resist the strainsof use, since such strains are borne very largely by the button-head. Inbuttons having an opening in the button-head through which the fasteningprotrudes the edges of the opening are left raw or as they come from thepress and beingsharp cut into the garment, as in the British patentmentioned and the Patent No. 47,843, dated May 23, 1865.

Now my invention is designed to avoid the objections stated asexistingin prior constructions of prong-buttons and to produce a buttonthat may be economically manufactured and is strong and durable. In mybutton there is a depressed center from which the bottom is whollyremoved, excepting a narrow marginal ledge sufficient to support thefastening, and thus no care is required in assembling the head andfastening, and such assembling may be effected rapidly and economically.The head and fastening are united by simple prick-points, indentations,or depressions in the sides of the depressed center above the head ofthe fastening or else by applying a face-plate with a central depressionbearing upon the fastening, either of these constructions avoiding thenecessity for the machinery and care required to constrict and flare thedepressed center in the old construction, while affording anequally-stable union of the parts. Since button-heads are required to bemade of a variety of metals, hard and soft, not all of which are equallyavailable as fastenings, it is obvious that the one-piece prong-buttonis of very limited adaptability and usefulness; but where, as in mycase, the prong or fastening is produced separately from the button-headit is obvious that the said prong may be made of the best metal for itspurposes, while the button-head may be of an unlimited varietyofsubstances, especially metals. To meet the requirements of the sellerand user, it is indispensable that the button-head and its fastening inthis class of buttons be permanently united. Again, in my button thefastening has its head formed and finished before it is inserted in thedepressed cenier of the button-head, and no manipulation, upsetting, orspreading of the said fastening-head is required, as in the oldconstruction, and in the case of the closed-face button the face-plateholds the fastening in place without the necessity of deforming thefastening. Thus the strength of the button is preserved and, indeed, isincreased. Finally, in order to remove the raw edge of the opening inthe bottom of the depressed center and so prevent cutting of the garmentthe said edge is curled up inwardly and a smooth and rounded edgepresented for contact with the garment. An additional advantageresulting from the employment of the curled edge in the central openingof the shank is that the button-head may be made of an inferior orthinner metal, for the reason that the curled edge sufficientlyreinforces the buttonhead to enable it to withstand the strains of use.If this curled edge were not used, the button-head would have to be madeof thicker and more expensive stock, and thus by the use of the curlededge a very considerable economy in first cost is effected and at thesame time a perfectly-serviceable button is produced.

Having thus stated the principle of my invention, I will proceed now todescribe the best mode in which I have contemplated applying thatprinciple and then will particularly point out and distinctly claim thepart, improvement, or combination which I claim as my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in the severalviews of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a planview of one form of open-face button constructed in accordance with myinvention, and Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof. Fig. 3 illustrates thevarious steps of manufacture of my fastening from blank to finishedarticle. Fig. 4 is an elevation of one form of my prong-button, and Fig.5 is a cross-section thereof. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of a closed-facebutton. Fig. 7 is a crosssection of a modified form of open-face button,and Fig. 8 is across-section of a closedface button ofanother form. Fig.9 is a crosssection of my prong-button applied to a piece of fabric.

The button-head may be of any well-known or preferred construction, andin the instance shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5 it is of the openfacevariety, having the face-flange a constructed with the depressed centerI), which forms the shank or hub. The bottom of this depressed center isremoved,all saving a slight marginal ledge or flange c, and, as shown inFigs. 2 and 4, this marginal ledge is curled upwardly, so as to presenta smooth surface (Z for contact with the cloth, as indicated in Fig. 9,and thus avoid the liability of cutting the cloth or defacing it. Notonly is this function obtained by the use of the curled ledge, but themanufacturer is able to make perfectlyserviceable buttons of very muchlighter and inexpensive stock.

The fastening comprises a head 6 and de pending prongs f. The preferredform of this pronged fastening is made from a flat radiate blank, Fig.3, comprising a center 6' and spurs f. This blank is next cupped, asshown in elevation and section at A A, Fig. 3, and then this cuppedblank is further pressed so as to throw the spurs f and a portion of thecenter e toward each other, and thereby leave the body of the center 6projecting outwardly or overhanging the spurs all around, and the crownis flattened, all as shown at B B, Fig. 3. In this way a prongedfastening is formed having a head which projects beyond the prongsthroughout its entire circumference. This headed and pronged fasteningis applied to the button-head by passing its prongs through the openingformed in the bottom of the depressed center until its head is arrestedby the marginal ledge c of said depressed center, upon which the saidheaded prong is supported. To secure such a headed-prong fastening in anopen-face button so that the two may be marketed as a unit and Withoutliability of their accidental separation, I may use any suitable meansfor retaining the fastening within the depressed center, and one verysimple and economical expedient for this end is shown in Figs. 5, 7, and9 and consists of the prick-points, indentations, or depressions g orother suitable disturbances of the sides of the depressed. center abovethe outer surface of the head of the fastening.

While I prefer to curl up the ledge at the opening in the bottom of thedepressed center, as already described, I do not limit my invention tothe presence of that feature but, as shown in Fig. 7, the edge of theopening may be left as it comes from the punchthat is, with an uncurledledge or flange. The curled ledge, however, in addition to affording asmooth bottom serves also to reinforce such bottom and enables themanufacturer to use thinner and less expensive stock and in each ofthese particulars is a decidedly advantageous feature.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 8, my invention is equally applicable toclosed-face buttons. In Fig. 6 the back h of the button has a do pressedcenter i, with the ledge at the openingcurled up, as at j. Theface-plate has the depressed center Z of su fficient depth to extend toand rest upon the head of the fasteningvand serving to retain saidfastening in the button without the use of the disturb- IIO ances 9,although these may be added in the closed-face button as an auxiliary tothe faceplate or to retain the fastening, especially While theface-plate is being applied. As shown in Fig. 8, the depressed center ofthe back of the button may be left with an uncurled ledge m, as in thecase of the open-face button of Fig. 7.

I prefer to produce the fastenings from sheet-steel, although othermetal may be used,

and the button-head may be made of any kind or grade of metal or othersuitable material.

I do not limit my invention to the use of the specific form of pron gedfastening shown and described or to a fastening having four prongs;butIprefer the fasteningillustrated. The head of the fastening devicemay be variously modified in shape also and may be crowned or rounded upand, if desired, ornamented. My invention is capable of use also with aring, washer, or reinforce interposed between the inner side of thegarment and the prongs and with a cap, which will cause the prongs tocurl up within it. These and other modifications of the principle ofconstru ction constituting my invention may be adopted without departingfrom my invention.

As illustrated in Fig. 9, the button of the open-face variety may beapplied to a gar-.

ment by passing or forcing the prongs through the material onto anysuitable die or anvil, which will serve to turn the points inwardly andupwardly into or through the fabric from the opposite side, thusafiording a very firm fastening. The closed-face button is similarlyapplied.

By my construction described I avoid the objections stated to beinherent in the prior constructions and produce a thoroughly practicaland economical button.

What I claim is- 1. A prong-button, having a head provided with adepressed center which forms the shank or hub and is constructed with amarginal ledge at its bottom, the said marginal ledge being curled upinwardly to reinforce it and to present a smooth exterior surface, and aheaded pronged fastening inserted in said depressed center, with itsprongs projecting through the said opening and its head resting upon andsupported by said marginal ledge, and means for permanently securing theheaded, pronged fastening in said depressed center against accidentaldisplacement and before the setting of the button on a garment,substantially as described.

3. A prong-button, comprisingahead having a depressed center which formsthe shank or hub and is constructed with an open bottom having amarginal ledge, a headed, pronged fastening, the prongs of whichprotrude through such opening and the head of which is seated upon'saidledge, the button-head and its fastening being permanently united bylateral displacements of the depressed center above such head before thebutton is set upon a garment, substantially as described. In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of April, A. D. 1899.

THEOPHILUS R. HYDE, JR.

WVitnesses HENRY FEHL, CHARLES FEHL.

